State laws matter in campaign wars

You know that your state attorney general is stepping on the right toes when his search for illegal influence-buying brings squeals of protest.

You know that your state attorney general is stepping on the right toes when his search for illegal influence-buying brings squeals of protest.

Eric Schneiderman is trying to uncover the secrets of those very secret, very rich organizations behind the scenes of this year's political campaigns.

He wants records from about two dozen tax-exempt groups that have been buying ads and slamming candidates without the usual scrutiny. They are protected by laws and court rulings that treat them like the charitable and educational organizations they pretend to be rather than the ruthless and partisan forces they are.

Schneiderman's efforts brought protests from Dave Camp, the Michigan Republican who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, and Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who is the ranking minority member on the Senate Finance Committee.

By looking into the funding of these groups, the two said, Schneiderman is usurping what is and should remain a federal responsibility. If anybody is going to get a peek at these records, it will take a formal request to the Internal Revenue Service.

While it is amusing to see these two fervent supporters of states' rights all of a sudden discover the joys of federalism, the attorney general is not responding in kind. He is very aware, his spokesman says, of how to get information from the IRS and will send a request if he needs some.

In the meantime, he is busy seeking information about the activities of the groups in New York and the potential violation of state laws should they turn out to be abusing their tax-exempt status by collecting and spending money on partisan political activities.

If he happens to uncover violations that rise to the federal level, he is sure to share it with the IRS, which seems reluctant to conduct the same kind of investigation.

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